Mail-bag



(No Model.)

J. SHILLING, Jr. MAIL BAG 4 Pa tgntg i Sgpt 24, 1895.

vwwm. 6'6 JZZWW 172 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE SHILLING, .13., or TROY, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,717, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed June 22, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JESSE SHILLING, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have Invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Bags or Pouches; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective means for closing the opening or mouth of a mail bag or pouch and securely fastening it closed; and it consists in a mail bag or pouch constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of the upper portion of a mail bag or pouch, showing the mouth or opening thereof closed by the device which constitutes my invention; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the device in the position it will assume when the mouth or opening of the mail bag or pouch is made accessible. Fig. 3 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line on m of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the body of a mail bag or pouch, which may be of leather, heavy canvas, or any other suitable material found best adapted to the purpose and of any size and shape desirable. The mail bag or pouch at its opening is provided upon either side thereof with guides at, which serve, also, as means for reinforcing and strengthening the bag or pouch at its opening. These guides may be constructed of leather or other suitable material and connected to the sides of the bag in any suitable and wellknown manner and extend down and around the sides thereof, as shown at b. The bag or pouch at this point is extended in width to form an offset or lateral extension B, thereby preserving the interior width of the bag or pouch throughout its length. The offset or lateral extension B has an opening to form a hand-grasp c, and directly opposite may be secured a second hand-grasp d. These guides at and those upon the sides of the lateral extension B are parallel with each other and form tracks for a sliding cap O,which is formed continuous, as shown, and completely closing Serial No. 553.642- (No model.)

the mouth or opening of the bag or pouch throughout its length when said cap is in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The cap 0 may be constructed of leather or I any other preferred material that will possess flexibility sufflcient to be brought to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The sides of the cap 0 terminate in inwardly-extending flanges e, that lap the under sides of the guides a, said cap being reinforced by a flexible band f, of leather or other suitable material. Connected to the cap 0 by any preferred means are any desirable number of metal clasps D, which form braces to the cap and hold the sides thereof in proper shape. The metal clasps D completely encircle the exterior of the clasp Gin cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and have inwardlyextending flanges g to form supports to the flanges e of the cap. To the under side of these flanges are suitably journaled antit'rictionrollers E, which bear against the sides of the bag or pouch A and prevent frictional wear thereon of the edges of the flanges g of the metal clasps, also to facilitate and render easy the movement of the cap 0 when opening or closing the bag or pouch. As previously stated, any number of the metal clasps may be used as found preferable, and the antifrictionrollers, which also serve as guide-rollers, may be connected to the clasps in any well-known manner and applied to all the clasps or only a portion of them, this being left entirely discretionary with the manufacturer, and any changes or modifications in the various details of construction as would come within ordinary mechanical skill may be made without departing from the principle of my'invention. When the bag is closed, the cap 0 will be in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a hasp 71. upon the end of the cap engaging a staple e on the bag and fastened by a suitable padlock F, thereby locking the cap in position over the mouth or opening of the bag. Any suitable locking device may be substituted for that shown, although the present means are considered the most practidal and simple.

When the cap 0 is released by unlocking the padlock and removing it from the staple and disconnecting the hasp therefrom, the cap may be slid along the opening or mouth of the bag and brought down over the lateral extension 13 to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thereby bringing the cap to a position that will be entirely out of the way to enable access to the interior of the bag or pouch.

The rollers upon the clasps do not only serve as antifriction-rollers, and also guides, butprevent the sides of the bag being injured by the edges of the flanges of the olasps cornin; in contact therewith when the bag is full.

The clasps may be made of thin layers of leather instead of metal or from any material found desirable.

The offset or lateral extension B projects out from the upper portion only of the side of the bag or pouch and decreases in width in a direction from top to bottom thereof. The guides 1) upon the sides of the offset or lateral projection are curved at their upper ends in a direction toward the mouth or opening of the bag to form a juncture between the guides upon the offset or extension and the guides upon the side of the body of the bag. The offset or lateral extension may serve as a hand-grasp or handle to the bag, and is preferably formed with an opening 0, hereinbefore described, and the sides of the offset or extension around the opening have connected to them strips of leather or other suitable material to form the reinforce 7a to the opening. This offset or lateral extension may be made separately and afterward secured to the body of the bag or pouch by riveting, as shown, or made from the same piece of material that forms the sides thereof.

I claim- 1. A mail bag or pouch having an olf-set or lateral extension which projects out from the upper portion of the side only and decreases in width in a direction from top to bottom, and a slidable cap for closing the opening in the bag or pouch and adapted to engage with the oft-set or extension, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A mail bag or pouch having an off-set or lateral extension provided with a reinforced opening, said off-set or lateral extension projecting out from the upper portion of the side only and provided upon its sides with guides, and a slidable cap for closing the opening in the bag or pouch adapted to engage with the guides, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A mail bag or pouch having an otf-set or lateral extension provided with a reinforced opening, said off-set or lateral extension projecting out from the upper portion of the side only and guides upon the sides of the offset or extension, a slidable cap engaging therewith, and means for locking the cap closed over the mouth or opening of the bag or pouch, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. A mail bag or pouch having an offset or lateral extension which projects out from the upper portion of the side only and has an opening to serve as a hand-grasp or handle, and a slidable cap adapted to engage with the off-set or extension, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A mail bag or pouch having an off-set or lateral extension provided with a reinforced opening, said offset or lateral extension projecting out from the upper portion of the side only, and a slidable cap adapted to engage therewith and provided with anti-friction rollers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. A mail bag or pouch having an olf-set or lateral projection which projects out from the upper portion of the side only and decreases in Width in a direction toward its lower end, guides upon the sides of the off-set or extension, and opening in the same, and a flexible cap and anti-friction rollers thereon, sub" stantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE SI'IILLING, JR.

'Witnesses:

W. B. McKINNEY, J. W. ROTHERMEL. 

